Garment



E. W. LEVI March 9, 1954 GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 7, 1952 INTOR.

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Elmer WM 1', BY @266 Mi ATTORNEYS.

E. W. LEVI March 9, 1954 GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March '7, 1952 INVENTORI Wflepz',

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE- 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a garment, and more particularly concerns an article of wearing apparel such as a ladys dress or the like having an apparel closure and removable and replaceable fastening means therefor.

Conventional articles of apparel such as dresses and the like have heretofore been difficult to launder or dry clean without damaging the buttons or fasteners therefor. Since the buttons are conventionally sewed to the garment material it has been a time consuming task to remove them for purposes of cleaning and then to sew them back on the garment after cleaning. Moreover the garment material is often worn or damaged upon repeated removal andreplacement of buttons in this matter.

Accordingly it is one object of this invention to provide means whereby buttons and other fasteners may readily be applied to and removed from a garment. Another object is to facilitate the removal of buttons or other fasteners from a garment in one operation without damaging the garment material.

Conventional dresses are often made of relatively light weight material and have relatively heavy buttons afiixed thereto. However the heavy buttons often tend to pull the inner layer of fabric forwardly through the buttonholes, thereby detracting from the appearance of the garment and tending to pull and distort or damage the material thereof. It is accordingly another object of this invention to provide a garment including a closure means particularly adapted for use in connection with relatively light weight material which is free of the foregoing objections.

Other objects and advantages of this invention, including the simplicity and economy of the same, as well as the ease with which different sets of buttons may be applied interchangeably to a garment for ornamental or other purposes, will further become apparent hereinafter and in the drawings whereof:

Fig. 1 represents a front view of one specific embodiment of this invention shown as applied to a ladys dress, with the lower portion of the dress shown unbuttoned in order more clearly to show important details;

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, taken as indicated by the area enclosed in the dot-dash lines II which appear in Fi Figs. 3 and 4 represent sectional views taken as indicated by the lines and arrows IIIIII and IVIV which appear in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 represents a view in front elevation show- 2 ing one specific form of fastening element constituting one element of the article shown inFigs. 1-4.

Turning now specifically to the drawings; the number I0 designates a ladys dress which comprises a piece of flexible material includingan outer panel I and an inner panel l2, which panels are separable from one another to provide a frontal opening for the dress Hl. Formed in the outer panel H are a plurality of equally spaced eyelets l3 each of which defines an elongate buttonhole it which has a longitudinal axis that extends substantially horizontally of the outer panel I Formed in the inner panel |2 are a plurality of eyelets I5 which define a plurality of equally spaced elongate buttonholes Hi the longitudinal axes of which extend substantially vertically of the inner panel I2. The buttonholes |4, US are equally spaced and are constructed and arranged on their respective panels I|, l2 to form registered pairs when the panels I l, l2 are overlapped to form a closure for the dress. The outer a and inner panels I I, I2 are disposed immediately adjacent to one another in parallel face to face relation throughout the dress closure area but are separated from one another at H to form a throat opening for the dress.

The number 20 designates a piece of flexible material preferably in the form of a tape to which a plurality of buttons 2| are afiixed. The buttons 2| are spaced apart from one another corresponding to the spacing between the pairs of buttonholes l4, IS. The buttons 2| are preferably fixed to the tape by stitches 22 (Figs. 3, 4') but may of course be otherwise affixed by other conventional fastening means. As shown in the drawings the buttons 2! have integral shanks 23 which extend through the registered buttonholes, said shanks 23 being thick enough to spread apart the eyelets l3, l5 and locally enlarge the buttonholes l4, l6.

At its upper end which is adiacent to the throat opening H, the tape 20 is of V-formation and is accordingly readily concealed beneath the throat opening. The tape 20 includes a stifiener element 24 which extends from the top of the tape 20 to a point below the uppermost button 2| a which is the anchor button. It preferably terminates at edge 26 just above the stitches 22 of the button 2| which is immediately below the anchor button 2|a.

It will be appreciated that the dress closure is readily completed by disposing the tape 20 immediately adjacent to the inner face of the inner panel I2 and projecting the buttons and button fastening means through the registered pairs of buttonholes l4, l6. Preferably the buttonholes are arranged on their respective panels in such manner that the lower corner of each vertical buttonhole l6 registers with that corner of the corresponding horizontal buttonhole I 4 which is nearest to the edge 25 of the outer panel H. In use the maximum strain is generally applied to the uppermost button 2m which.is accordingly termedsthe anchoributton, and this button Zla is efiectively prevented from pulling through the corresponding buttonholes l4, l6 by the stiffener element 24 which may consist of the same material as tape 20, folded back upon itself and sewed in this position. However the stiffener element 24 may of course consist of buckram'or other cloth or any other stifiening means-tsuch as whalebone, for example, and may be afiixed to the tape.,20 in any desired manner. These buttonsblow'the anchor button 2| a are subjected to much less stress than is :applied to the anchor button. and

the stilfening :means *24 accordingly :preferably terminates at 26 above the button 2| which is disposed immediately :below the anchor fbutton im. The single-layer of tape 2-0 below' 'the ter mination '26 'is i highly preferred for the sake of oonifort,'fiexibilitycanweconomy.

1t-w111 be appreciated that the'particfilancon- *struction wherein the registered 'buttonholes are disposed atangles'to-one another is=of=particular advantage in that interlocking supporting-"means -are therebyprovided, "which are efiective in 'two different directions'an'd'serve as positive supports 'for the button==elementwhich passes through the buttonholes. This minimizes the stretching and :distortion of" the-materialof =panels I I, l2 "and is fparticuiai'ly advantageous when a relatively light garment-panel material is utilized in combination -with relatively heavy buttonsor other "fasteners.

=While I have-shown-and= described the particularly preferred'combination wherein'one set of -buttonholes'is horizontal and the other set of buttonholes isvertical, it will be-appreciate'ci that other angular arrangements may be utilized if des'ire'd. 'Moreoverwhile the buttonholes have been illustrated as registering at or "near their extreme ends, it will be'appreciated" that many of the advantages of this invention are realized by -reg'is'tering the buttonholes-at'points other than their ends. -Howeverparticular advantage is'attained withthedongitudinal-axes'of the horizon-- to extend through the registered buttonholes will suffice to secure the parts together in the manner of this invention. Moreover fastening means other than buttons may be utilized in the combination described, without departing from the scope of this invention.

While I have shown and described in detail the article of apparel constituting one form of my invention,-.it will be appreciated thatrmodificationsmay be made in-ithe iorm ofithe apparel and the closure therefor, including reversals of parts, substitutions of equivalents, and the use of certain parts independently of others, all within the aspirit and scope of the invention as defined in the ..appended. claims.

: disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axise of the other a set :of said 'buttonholes. =sai'd sets ot buttonh'oles irbeing arranged :on i their respective panels to lie next to one:another With-the ends 'of one'set of said buttonholes:registered'with the 7 ends ioflthe: other-iset'o'f said 'buttonholes, a tape, a: plurality of fbuttonsvextendingi'from the top of :thebottom ofetsaidittape; 'fastening means extend ing "between said rbuttons san'dfisaid itape seouring :said buttons .in spaced :relation to 1 said tapa the :buttons being 5 equally vspacediin aecordance with "the :spacing of :said :button'h'oles, said 'iiastening :means extendingfithroug'h 'andrcontactingroneend of tl'ieelongate sl'otmf each-of said buttonholes,

said tape having the top thereofiin'ltheiform of an inverted xvesha'pe -terminating immediately above" the uppermost rofasaid ibuttons and trainiforc'ingtmaterial aflixedztoithe toprportionof said tape thereby :preventing the 1 upper rend "of :said .tape .cfrom :being :dra-wn'cthrough (the :nppermost buttonholes.

2. The dress defined in claimzl whereinxone of said buttonholes-* is substantidllywerticahazid the :other of "said :buttonholes is .a'sub'stantially :iwrizontal.

3. The dress defined .in rclaim :2, wherein the substantially "-vertical "buttonhole :is disposed :on

7 said inner panel and thersubstantially horimntal nbuttonhole is disposed on said outerzpanel.

DEVI.

References Cited in the file 'of this patent UNITED 1 STAT-ES PA-TENTS 

